Friday, July 25, 2008

Shankar - Soul Searcher

Released on Bill Laswell's Axiom Records in 1990, Soul Searcher contains but one track, the 50-minute-plus 'Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi'. From All Music Guide:

"...The music combines all the common elements of traditional Indian music -- syncopated tabla rhythms, droning tamboura, dazzling vocals -- with Shankar's breathtaking violin melodies, then adds keyboards courtesy of Peter Gabriel...a wonderfully accessible introduction for newcomers looking to delve into the genre."

This really is a unique, pretty record. Shankar has had an interesting and varied career, as well, crossing paths with everyone from Ornette Coleman, Frank Zappa and most famously, John McLaughlin in Shakti.